New Moon Vintage Travel Trailer

Redman’s New Moon Trailer was shot into prominence with success of 1953’s MGM comedy 'The Long, Long Trailer', since then it is an icon of American RV-ing

New Moon Trailer was shot into prominence with the runaway success of the MGM comedy of 1953, 'The Long, Long Trailer'.

In this movie a young couple, played by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez, buy a yellow and white Redman trailer beyond their means and spend a year traveling around the United States.

The movie made the trailer so famous that it transformed its manufacturer from a company that produced one or two trailers a day to one of US's biggest manufacturers of travel trailers producing hundreds each day at six factories.

The name of the manufacturer of the celebrated trailer was Redman. Trailer Company. Redman was incorporated in 1937 with their first factory at Alma, Michigan. The firm was started by Harold and William Redman along with engineer Al Hathaway.

The plant at Alma was a pickle factory at the time which was made to accommodate two production lines that could barely produce four to five trailers per week. Sales grew significantly when the firm developed a large trailer in the 1940's. During the World War II Redman received substantial orders for mobile homes for war veterans.

So here it is: Animated "Long, Long Trailer"......

“I Love Lucy” Model

In 1954 Redman gave a new look to the existing New Moon model after the great success of the Metro production 'The Long, Long Trailer'. This was a 36 foot long mobile home with all the facilities for a comfortable living and travelling. The comfortable double bed was in the front. Kitchen came with all the modern fittings and fixtures like multi-burner stove, sink, shelves etc. The kitchen galley was placed in the middle. There were two pantries near the kitchen. The dinette seat was 41” and hence comfortable to sit down and enjoy food. There was a 64” sofa beside the kitchen. This retro trailer had a big sofa lounge at the back which could be used as a guest bedroom. The bathroom was fitted with 32” x 32” Neo angle shower, toilet seat and basin. At the back there was a bench seat for enjoying the scenery.

...and the real model (it is really looong trailer)

Source: http://hepcatrestorations.com

“28” Lucy Model

After the runaway success of the movie the company produced trailers of various lengths named according to their sizes namely “28”, “36”,”37”,”41” and “43”. The models approximated the looks and interiors of the trailer shown in the movie. For instance, the “28” model was 28’6” long and came with 8’ wide roomy living room. There were 3 clothes closets and 12 windows in all. This model was recommended for small families or for vacations only. New Moon quality and elegance was evident throughout.

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